"Barça can win with nine on 11"

Unai Emery faces Real Madrid at the Mestalla this Saturday (10pm, La Sexta) for the fourth time during his largely successful managerial tenure at Valencia. In his first season his side won 3-0, but since then results at Valencia's stadium have gone against the home side when Real has come calling; a 2-3 defeat in 2009-10, and a 3-6 drubbing last season.

Question. Where does your energy come from?

Answer. I love soccer and I'm restless. I wake up in the morning and... wham. "I have to speak to this player, watch that video." I go to bed at 2am and from 10am I'm working. I never rest. It's a habit I've picked up.

Q. Do you sleep well?

A. Yes, six hours. the alarm has to go off three times. I switch off quickly, even after matches. I wake with a smile if we've won, or thinking, "Shit, we lost!" When I was a player I slept 10 hours.

Q. Do you watch too many videos?

A. I've seen three or four of Madrid. I like to be on top of everything: training, opponents, strategy, team talks, line-ups... but I always share everything with my colleagues. I need to gain more experience, knowledge and information. I'm obsessed by perfection and I can't find it. It doesn't exist. You have to live with your defects.

Q. It seems you prepare games well but find it hard to read them.

A. [Argentinean coach] Ángel Cappa said that soccer is for soccer players. Yes, but how do they play? Mainly as the coach tells them to. Sometimes, coaches are not on top of things and sometimes neither are players. One day we play a perfect game and the next an imperfect one. Why did Spain play so badly in the first half against Costa Rica? A coach's job is to analyze.

Q. Last season, when Real beat you 6-3 at the Mestalla, when you were losing 4-0 you left the bench to receive the crowd's boos. Why?

A. I felt I couldn't hide. I have to show strength and responsibility. I couldn't leave my team alone out there.

Q. How do the players react to the anger of the fans?

A. They have to prepare a lot mentally. It's the price they have to pay. It has happened to Miguel and [Ever] Banega, for example. There was a Spanish international who the coach told to get ready to play and he answered: "I can't go out there. I've seized up."

Q. Valencia president Manuel Llorente spoke to other coaches before hiring you because he wasn't sure about you.

A. It depends how you look at it. He saw four or five coaches and chose me. Our relationship is very demanding on both sides to achieve the best we can.

Q. What have you seen in Real?

A. They are lethal. When they attack, they bite. They have only lost at Levante, which made the game very uncomfortable for Real. Mourinho's biggest virtue is the mentality of his players. Real is very strong psychologically and depends a lot on individuals. Against them you have to play every tactic: counterattack, possession, defense, pressure...

Q. How did you discover \[Soufiane\] Feghouli?

A. He didn't attract attention to himself, even when he was loaned to Almería. There were flashes. We spoke to him and he asked for a run in the team. When Joaquín and \[Juan\] Mata left, we told him he would be competing with Pablo \[Hernández\]. He's very young. These are processes you have to go through. He gained confidence with his two goals against Getafe.

Q. Why do Barcelona's youth players come on so quickly?

A. Barça can play nine against 11 and they'll win. For the youngsters it's easier to slot into the team like that. There are teams of development and teams of performance. Valencia is a team of performance. In three years we have brought through \[Vicente\] Guaita, Jordi Alba, Isco and Míchel.

Q. Are you going to vote on Sunday?

A. No. I voted once, years ago, and I had an unpleasant experience. I haven't voted since. The 15-M movement reflects a reality: we have been in decline for the past 10 years. We have gone backward compared to France and Germany. It is the fault of both the left and the right.